Britain was estimated at 13,338,14 ibs. Now, that of Great Britain 
and Ireland, exclusive of the dependencies, amounts to 28,000,000 its, 
Lords ArtineTon and Ossory brought home a quantity of Tea from — 
Holland, about the year 1666, at which time it was sold for 60s. the Be 
But the practice of tea-drinking, even in public coffee-houses, was not 
uncommon in England prior to that period: for, in 1660, a duty of 8d. 
per gallon was laid on the liquor made and sold in all coffeehouses. 
In the sister country of Scotland, a ceritury elapsed before Tea was 
Benerey known. It has been stated, and we believe on the authority of 
ir WaLTER Scort, as proving how long a time had passed before Tea 
came into general use in his native land, that people are yet living, who 
recollect how the Lady Pumpuraston, to whom a pound of fine green 
Tea had been sent as a rare and valuable present, boiled the same, and 
served it up with melted butter, as condiment to a salted rump of beef, 
and complained, that no cooking that she could contrive, “ would make 
those foreign greens tender.” 
America catries on a vast trade in this article; but Russia is stated to 
rank next to Great Britain, inasmuch as 25,200,000 ibs. of Tea are 
yearly. imported and consumed by the Russians. Their trade with the 
elestial Empire, as may be conjectured. by the proximity of their term- 
tories, is by land ; and it is said that, in consequence of it, the Tea is of 
a superior quality than that which has been subjected to a long voyage. 
It is sent from Russia to Germany, where it fetches a high price, under 
the name of Caravan Tea. But in Russia, a peculiar kind of Tea, not 
known in other parts of Europe, (and, indeed, in Russia, its consumption 
is confined to the Asiatic territories,) is Brick Tea, a term frequently 
made use of in the interesting travels of Lepresowr in the Altaic Moun- 
tains, and which has been lately explained to me, and a specimen shown 
me by the Rey. Wittiam Sway, an intelligent missionary, who ha 
resided for ten years at Setenginsk, in Asiatic Russia, where Brick Tea 
is in very general use among the Mongolian tribes and Bouriats. Its 
produced at Fokien, and consists of old or coarse damaged leaves al! 
stalks, pressed into moulds, and dried in the oven. Of this a small 
quantity 1s taken, pounded in a mortar, and infused for a long time 
boiling water before the infusion is ready, which, however, is too bac 
the Chinese taste. The people above mentioned, generally add to 1t@ 
little salt and milk, and sometimes flour fried in oil. . 
_ Linn avs had the honour of introducing this interesting and valuable 
plant alive to Europe : but not till he had experienced many disappoint- 
ments. The seeds would never bear the voyage : for like all oily 
they turned rancid in a short time. His pupil Ossecx brought a plant 
as fat as the Cape of Good Hope, where it was washed overboard dutng 
a storm. Lacrrstrorm conveyed two shrubs, for the true Tea, 
Upsal; but they turned out to be Camellia, which the Chinese call by the 
Same name ; not distinguishing it (any more than some able Europe? 
botanists) generically from Tuza. Some time after, one reached We 
hope of Gottenburg in good health: but the evening before landing, 
‘ e captain set the plant on the table of his cabin, where it was eaten 
We Ke At length Linnzus advised Captain Exrsere to SOW 
ees in pots of earth at the moment of his departure from China, 
4 at they might vegetate after passing the line; and the growing | 
cog eee thus brought in safety to Gottenburg, the 3d of Octobet 
» and transported to the Botanic Garden of Upsal. ee 
Fig. 1. Flower. 
